Siblings and their big Mouths
by czarinabattymoon
Summary: Both Serenity and Mokuba have their problems. Their siblings. Joey is an over protective big brother to the extreme, and Seto refuses to give Mokuba any responsibility until he can show he can be responsible. What are they going to do? Yugi may have an idea. It may involve one very large secret, one that even Seto Kaiba needs help trying to solve, but if he does, what then? SxS
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

He had been trying to get Seto to give him more responsibility around the company, but his brother stubbornly refused. Seto kept saying he wasn't ready, that Mokuba needed more time to learn the ins and outs of the company before he could let him take on that kind of responsibility. That led to a rather large argument, which led to a yelling match, which led to the current situation Mokuba was now in. He had threatened to sell of his share of the stocks, and give away any rights he had to the company if Seto didn't back off. Seto had presented him with a challenge after that.

If he could take the sum of money Seto gave him, and turn it into a profit by the end of the year, Seto would consider his request to take on more responsibility in the company like he wanted. It seemed like an ironic proposal, considering that Seto had won that challenge with Gozaburo. What made him think that Mokuba couldn't do the same? Though he had to admit, he was feeling a bit frustrated at the moment. He'd been walking around for hours now, and hadn't found a company to invest in.

* * *

"You take that back, Joey!" Serenity shouted, angrily.

Oh she'd had it. Ever since the operation, Joey acted like her parent, telling her what to do, where to go, who she could be with. He had actually tried to hook her up with Tristan just because he knew that Tristan would keep an eye on her like Joey wanted! Now he had the audacity to tell her what to do with her chosen profession. Mai hadn't been able to talk any sense into him, and when he got like this, that wasn't really much of a surprise.

So, Serenity squared off with Joey like it was the final show down. She had tried to be reasonable, maybe even make some kind of compromise, but the second she had stated an objection, Joey tried to practically steamroll her into what he wanted. She'd never been one for confrontations, so she was nervous, scared as hell, shaking from head to toe. Serenity knew though, that if she didn't stand up for herself now, he'd never stop treating her like this. He was not a parent, and she was not his kid…damn it!

"Serenity, I know what's best for ya's." Joey argued. "I'm da oldest. I've been supportn us alright. Ya's don't have ta do dis. Artists don't make money anyway."

"Oh, you did not just say that." Mai groaned, knowing he'd just dug his own grave. Serenity looked like she'd had all the fight kicked out of her, and then it roared back with a vengeance.

"You really think I couldn't support myself with my art?" She asked, with a quiet anger. "Or is it that you don't want me doing artwork anymore, because Kaiba said one of my sketches was nice?"

Joey winced, meaning it struck a nerve, and Serenity realized on some level that that was exactly why Joey didn't want her doing this.

"It's not dat. It's just dat…Serenity, tha world is cruel, an I don't want ya's ta get hurt." Joey stated, gently. "I'm supposed ta protect ya's."

"Bullshit." She growled, drawing Joey up short. That was the first time she'd ever cussed in front of him. "You just want me under your heel, so you can always tell me what to do. I can't wear sexy clothes, but Mai and Anzu can. I can't go out and get a job, but Mai and Anzu can. I can't date, but you can try and fuck Mai while I'm in the other room. You know what? I can't do this anymore."

She held no bad feelings towards Mai. In fact, she'd gone to her for advice on how to handle this mess. Granted, it hadn't worked out like either of them had hoped, but still. Serenity and Mai shared a knowing look, and Mai watched as Joey floundered for what to say next. Serenity on the other hand, decided that she was going to her room, and locking the door.

If she was going to do this, she was going to have to do it now before she lost her nerve. She took out the large 2 piece travel suitcase set Mai and Anzu had gotten for her, like they had somehow known that it was always going to come down to this, and began to methodically pack her things. She didn't have a lot, so it was easy for her to fit everything in the two suitcases. When she calmly walked out of the room, she found Mai still trying to talk Joey down from his anger and confusion. Serenity felt she had to be on some kind of anger high, sadistically smirking as she was, knowing that what she was about to do next was not going to help matters.

Fuck it.

"What are ya doin?" Joey asked, with a gulp, showing the first signs of fear in this.

"I thought the suitcases made that obvious." Serenity retorted. "I'm leaving."

"Where are ya goin ta go?" He asked, worried now. "Dey're are dangerous people out dere. Ya's don't know how ta defend yaself. Ya's never held a job before."

"And who was suppose to teach me those things?" Serenity asked, turning his points back onto him. "That's right. You! You were suppose to teach me those things, because you took up the mantle of parent instead of brother. But you didn't teach me those things, so that I'd remain helpless, so that I'd always depend on you for everything, so that I'd never leave you. Well, buddy-boy, watch me walk my happy ass out that door!"

Mai looked at her like proud mamma sending her baby out into the world. Serenity just gave her a nod, and went on her way. Joey stood there looking all kinds of confused, angry, and hurt. He probably hadn't meant half the shit he'd said, but that didn't excuse it. He would either learn to watch his temper, or deal with the consequences.

* * *

Somehow, he ended up at Yugi's game shop. Things always seemed to make sense when he was there, and maybe Yugi would have a few ideas to bounce off of him. What he found was Serenity bawling her eyes out, yelling about Joey. She'd walked out with her bags packed and nowhere to go, anything to get away from the brother who didn't believe in her.

"You got one of those too?" He asked, looking over at her.

"Seto loves you, Mokuba." Serenity insisted, even as tears fell down her face.

"I know that, but he doesn't think I can handle responsibility." Mokuba countered, and something in her face caught him up short. "What did Joey say to you?"

"I didn't need a job, that _**artists**_ don't make money anyway." Serenity replied. "What did yours say?"

"Oh? Mine said that if I could turn a profit by the end of a year, he'd give me more responsibility, but only after I threatened to sell off my share of the company." Mokuba answered, deep in thought.

"At least there's that. He believes in you, Mokuba. He's giving you this chance to prove your words." Serenity replied, trying to encourage him.

"That's it!" Yugi exclaimed, happily. The two just looked at him clueless of where his mind had gone. "Serenity, you want to prove you can support yourself. Mokuba, you want your brother to trust you with more responsibility. Don't you see? This is your chance!"

"Does he make sense to you when he gets like this?" Serenity mumbles to Mokuba.

"No, but if we give him a minute, he'll come down and start making sense again." Mokuba replied, whispering conspiratorially.

"You two are each others solutions." Yugi tried to explain. "Serenity, you're already an artist. You want to be an artist that makes money. Mokuba, you need a company to invest in. ( _He stood beside Serenity, and put his hands on her upper arms_ ) She's your company to invest in."

"I what?" Serenity asked, confused. "Huh?"

"Yeah…" Mokuba said, thoughtfully. "Serenity. Let's go, we've got things to do, dinner to eat, ass to kick, things like that."

"Don't worry. You two were never here." Yugi said, knowingly.

"You think we can do this?" Serenity asked, not even sure what 'this' was yet.

"I think we are about to create the greatest mystery artist Japan has never seen." Mokuba replied, and the two walked out the door.

The two went to dinner to discuss things more in depth. The plan was bold in its simplicity, but it had been done before. They would have to work out the mistakes the others had made, and plan around them. By the time that they'd gotten everything roughly worked out, it was well into the evening. They'd start apartment hunting the next day, and then they'd take on the world. Yugi didn't mind housing them for the night, and he got to hear how far they'd gotten in their plans. Joey had already been there looking for Serenity, and wouldn't be making the rounds again till tomorrow.

* * *

Meanwhile, earlier that day…

"Kaiba! Ya'z have ta help me!" Joey shouted, barging into Seto's office.

"Well this ought to be rich." Seto groaned. "What is it now, Mutt?"

"Serenity is missin!" Joey shouted, frantic. "She's not been home all day, an no one knows where she is, an she's ma only baby sista!"

Seto straightened up slightly at that. He may hate Joey, but Serenity was a different matter. He still had trouble believing she was related to the mutt. She spoke with a quiet grace, she'd always been kind to him, and he found that he enjoyed conversing with her. Hell, Seto actually found himself trying not to insult Joey whenever he was around her. No one other than Mokuba could get him to do things like that.

"I can have my people search for her, cover more ground that way, Wheeler." Seto said, seriously. He'd do anything if Mokuba went missing like that. "They'll need a detailed description, what she was wearing, anything to help. Last place she was seen, things like that."

"I-I just…She's just gone. I dunno what happened. She could be anywhere!" Joey said, pacing. "Everyth'n was fine till today!"

"Now, Joseph Wheeler, you tell him the truth. Right now, or we're over." Mia hissed, as she walked into the office.

"Ya'z think he'd agree ta help me if he knew she'd stormed out on her own, bags packed, an' her yelln at me?" Joe asked, causing Seto to look up in mild shock.

"You'd lie to my face to get your sister to come back home?" Seto asked, slightly amused. "You're right. I won't help you. I'm glad she finally stood up for herself where you're concerned, and you can get the hell out of my office right now."

* * *

On the phone, later that night…

"So, how's the search going?" Seto asked, curious.

"I found something. It's a small operation, but I think with the right motivation the company could go places." Mokuba replied, unable to hide his excitement.

"I'm glad, Mokuba, really." Seto admitted, fondly. "I know you'll do well."

"Thanks, Seto. That means a lot." Mokuba replied, surprised.

"Have you heard about Serenity yet?" Seto asked, bringing up other news.

"What about her?" Mokuba asked, feigning ignorance.

"The Mutt stormed into my office, demanding I find her. He actually lied to me saying she was missing first, in order to get me to send out a search team. I almost did it too, till Valentine stormed in and demanded he tell the truth." Seto informed him. "Apparently, she finally snapped and told him off. I may hate that mutt, but Serenity's never done anything to me."

"If I see her, I'll tell her to at least call home so he doesn't worry." Mokuba vowed. "So, why did he think she was with you?"

"We're not having that discussion right now, Mokuba." Seto growled, before hanging up.

"Hey, Serenity!" Mokuba called out. "You might want to call Joey or something, let him know you're not living as a hobo for the night."

"Oh my God, Mokuba!" Serenity said, giggling. "Why? What did your brother say?"

"Joey stormed the office, lied to Seto to get him to send out a search team, and then he was made to tell the truth later." Mokuba replied.

"He's always like that whenever I don't listen to him." Serenity replied, saddened now. "Don't worry, I'll call. Just hope it helps."

* * *

On the phone…

"Hey, Mai." Serenity said, quietly. "How's he doing?"

"Freaking out, but I think I have him calmed down for the moment." Mai replied. "You coming home soon?"

"Not this time, Mai." Serenity stated, determined.

"Good." Mai said, surprising her. "You prove to him that you can do this, Hun. You prove to yourself that you can do this. I'll be here for you if you need me."

"Things are already picking up for me. I've just found a sponsor to start me out." Serenity stated, not wanting to give out too many details.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you!" Mai squealed. _Is that Serenity? Is she okay?_

"Put him on the phone for me, would you, Mai?" Serenity said, hesitantly.

…

"Serenity, are ya alright?" Joey asked, sounding frantic.

"I'm fine, Joey, really." Serenity replied, worried for her brother now. Maybe she should go home, she thought, he sounded so worried.

"Ya'z ready ta come home, an stop all dis nonsense?" He asked, sounding patronizing. _You were doing so well too_

"Tell Mai that I appreciate _**her**_ believing in me." Serenity stated, before hanging up the phone.

* * *

Serenity couldn't believe how fast everything had changed. Mokuba was like a shark when he went after something, and by the next afternoon, the two of them had their own apartments. She had the one above his, that way he could field anyone who happened to make it that far. The place seemed a bit empty, but she had the creative bug already. Figuring she could always shop for things when Mokuba got back, she got to work on trying to figure out how to paint without leaving any kind of DNA on anything.

"Akagi, tell me you have a minute to talk." Mokuba half ordered/ half pleaded.

"It's always good to see you, Mokuba." The older man said, respectfully.

"Listen, I have an idea to pitch to you." Mokuba started. "What would you say to hosting an anonymous artist? One who's identity can't be found?"

"Considering it's a Kaiba telling me these things? I'd say you have my attention, at the very least." The older man replied, curious. "Tell me more about this mystery artist of yours."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It had been nearly a week, and no sign of her. He'd searched everywhere, talked to all of his friends, even yelled at that moneybags Kaiba again, but there was no sign of Serenity. Mai would get calls from her every day, but whenever Joey tried to talk to her it was like he lost his mind. He'd start spouting crazy nonsense, demanding that she come home. She never yelled at him again, never got mad, just wished them a good night before hanging up again.

The others insisted that he give her time. She'd come back eventually, or at least the two would become closer as siblings again, but he was worried. She'd never been out on her own like this. She'd never gotten a job, because he'd insisted that he could take care of them just fine. She'd never learned to defend herself, because he'd said he'd always be there to protect her.

Hell, she'd been right about everything she'd said to him. Why couldn't he have just admitted that to her face? Maybe let her start looking for a job at one of the local stores or something? Why'd he have to go and say that about her art? Joey knew she was fiercely proud of how far she'd come in her craft, considering her recent blindness.

He shook his head, and sighed. This hadn't been how he'd wanted the conversation to go, and every day that she was gone was a night that he sat up with worry. Mai insisted that she was fine, with the progress calls she kept getting, that she was even starting to bring in money for her art. They just needed time to cool their heads, and try again. Maybe, they could get back to being close again like they were before.

* * *

He'd seen the new anonymous artist's work around town, and figured that they'd find out who it was within a week or two. However, months went by with no news that the artist had been found, and now it seemed that this mystery person was all Japan could talk about. Seto grew curious about the artist, eventually making his way to see an art exhibit that showcased their newest pieces. The artwork was amazing, ranging from striking landscapes to detailed portraits, but the artist was not there. The curator couldn't tell him a single thing about them, just that he was contacted by a third party supporter of the artist and couldn't resist the curiosity of it.

Moreover, he was pleasantly surprised to see that Mokuba was making good on his promise. He'd already paid back every bit of the money Seto had lent to him. Whatever it was that he had invested in had paid off big time, but Seto couldn't seem to find whatever it was. The boy would always say that the small company was doing well, and that he would have another payment again soon, but that was when he had to pay back money. Now he just talked about how well the company was doing, and how he couldn't wait to help Seto with Kaiba Corp.

That was another thing, he'd never been over to see Mokuba's new place either. The boy would come to visit him, or they would meet up somewhere. Seto'd not thought a thing about it till now. Why was Mokuba being so secretive? What was he investing in? Seto really wanted to meet this artist person, also really wanted to see what Mokuba was doing.

He'd never done anything like this before, but Seto decided that if he was going to do this then he was going to do it right. So, he wrote a letter to the artist. He hoped it would get him clues about who the artist was. At the next gallery showing, he waited until he was almost the last one out, and then asked to speak with the curator. Akagi was always a patient man, and more than willing to talk to Kaiba.

"Akagi, thank you for meeting with me." Seto stated, politely. "I'll get to the point. I understand that you don't know who the artist is, but you know their handler. If you would, give this to them for me, please."

Akagi blinked rapidly for a second, possibly because that was the first time he'd ever heard Seto say the word please, and replied with a smile. "Of course, Sir. They have several messages today, more than likely threats or spam, but you have always been a man of substance. I'm sure your message will be too."

"Thank you, Akagi." Seto said, kindly.

As he was about to take his leave, he saw a painting that made him stop short. He hadn't paid much attention to it before, but now that there were fewer people in the way, it pulled at his attention. It was his portrait. He had to admit, whoever this was made him look like he could actually cut quite the dashing figure, standing there prepared to draw a card from the dueling disk, the wind causing his signature white trench coat to billow out, his ultimate blue eyes white dragon almost like a threateningly formidable ghost in the background. Other duelists had been portrayed in other paintings in the gallery, but this one was his.  
"Akagi, has anyone bought this particular painting yet?" Seto asked, looking at it. "I want it for my office."

"I'm sure the artist would be pleased to know that." Akagi replied. "We can fill out the paperwork over here if you like."

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me." Mokuba declared, his mind blown.

"Nope." Akagi replied, his eyes shining with mirth. "Here's the letter, and he even bought the portrait the artist did of him and the ultimate blue eyes."

"They're going to love this." Mokuba stated, unable to hold back from laughing a little.

"No hints on the identity then? I had bets on it being you, you know." Akagi said, good-naturedly.

"Nope, not me. I have the artistic license of a tomato." Mokuba said, with a grin. "I don't know that they're ready to reveal themselves yet. Maybe soon."

"Wouldn't that be the some debut? The revealing of Japan's most popular mystery artist?" Akagi mused. "Ah, I almost forgot. These are the other letters. I doubt they're savory, but you should still look at them."

"Thanks, Akagi." Mokuba replied, taking the stack before he left.

* * *

"Serenity? You're not going to believe this!" Mokuba shouted, when he got home. She came bounding downstairs, still wearing her over coat, gloves, goggles, and hairnet.

"What is it?" She asked, happily. Mokuba stopped short, chuckling at how much she looked like a mad scientist.

"Seto bought the piece you painted of him." He announced, excited. "Not only that, he dropped off a letter to the artist. You going to tell him?"

"You think I should?" She asked, nervous.

"He's always kind of liked you, Serenity. Trust me, a brother knows these things…Come to think of it, that might explain why Joey's been bugging him asking where you are." Mokuba rambled, chuckling at the end.

"The guy barely knows me, you trouble maker." Serenity giggled, sticking her tongue out at him. "Now give me that letter!"

"Oh no, I'm going to be totally embarrassing and read it out loud to you." Mokuba smirked, before running throughout the place, not really trying to read the letter. "Oh my dearest sweet Serenity, I totally know that you're the artist, and dream of making adorable little Serenity and Seto Kaiba babies with you. Hopefully, they will have your temperament, as I come off as a cold-hearted bastard. Your shnukums."

"Give me that!" Serenity squealed, grabbing it out of his hand and racing back upstairs.

"Have fun with your love letter!" Mokuba shouted up after her.

* * *

 _Anonymous,_

 _It's strange, writing to someone I do not know. I have to say you are the most successful anonymous artist so far at actually keeping your identity secret, and I say that with certainty, because I tried to find out who you are for myself. You must have someone helping you cover your tracks, which is smart. I'm not sure if I want you to give me a hint as to who you are, or keep things the way they are so that I can try to figure out the mystery on my own. If you would like to keep the lines of communication open, we can use Akagi as our drop off messenger._

 _Seto Kaiba_

Serenity smiled, and began writing her own letter. Maybe it was too bold of her, but Seto Kaiba wanted to play cat and mouse, so why not? She'd show the letter to Mokuba before she sent it. He'd love this anyway. Plus, it was always fun to tease a Kaiba.

She handed Mokuba the letter some time later, and asked. "So, what do you think?"

"You sure about this?" Mokuba asked, curious. "Once you start giving hints, it's only a matter of time before you're discovered. This can't last forever, the secret identity thing, but you should control how it gets revealed."

"You say he likes me, don't you?" Serenity asked, with a big grin. "It would be nice for him to know then, before I tell the rest of Japan, yeah?"

"Alright, but your next question is what are you going to do about Joey when he figures it out?" Mokuba teased.

"He already knows I do well with my art, that I live on my own, but he still thinks I can't take care of myself." Serenity grumbled, shaking her head. "Take that to Akagi tomorrow, would you?"

"Sure thing, _**Sis**_." Mokuba said, with a cheeky grin.

* * *

None of his employees know what to do. Seto Kaiba is grinning. It's something they've never seen before, only having seen the constant scowl that he was famous for. He secretly enjoyed watching them squirm, and he couldn't bring himself to stop grinning. With the delivery of the painting to his office, there was an additional item with it.

A single letter to be delivered with the painting, Akagi stated, had been left with the painting to be delivered to Seto. The artist had reached out to him, something he hadn't actually thought would happen. There was something to this chase, a kind of thrill. Once the painting had been hung on the wall, and everyone was gone from his office, Seto opened the letter. His grin got even bigger.

 _Seto,_

 _Technically, we've met before, but I'm not sure you'd remember me. We didn't talk much, and it's been forever ago. In truth, I don't really stand out all that much. I'm a bit of a wallflower that way. Maybe that's why I'm pretty successful at this being anonymous thing._

 _My handler person deals with all the technical bits of hiding who I am, but after a brief run around, we both decided maybe I should eventually reveal that bit of information. You get first hints, since your letter was by far the nicest one sent to me. I've never even met Akagi, but I'm sure he would love to facilitate a reveal of this kind. Enclosed is your hint. You like riddles, right?_

 _Good luck_

 _It's true I bring Serenity,_

 _And hang around the stars,_

 _But yet I live in misery,_

 _You'll find me behind bars._

 _With thieves and villains I consort,_

 _In prison I'll be found,_

 _But I would never go to court,_

 _Unless there's more than one._

Seto stared at the riddle for a while. Such a curious way to give a hint, the person was definitely intelligent, and said that he knew them already. That narrowed down the list to business associates, acquaintances, classmates, and maybe Mokuba's friends. Someone who thought that they didn't stand out, would have a sort of quiet grace about them, and not many fit that bill. Who in that group loved art, and reading?

 ** _On the phone…_**

"When am I going to get to visit your place, Mokuba?" Seto asked, about a week later. "It's been months, and I've never even seen the place."

He was more than a little annoyed. At first, the riddle seemed like a life line to the artist. Now it just seemed like a taunt. How the hell could a CEO of a gaming company not be able to solve this? He was the most brilliant of his generation, and yet he was stumped by a simple riddle.

"Wow. You sound tense." Mokuba noticed. "Is everything okay?"

"Joey checks my house every other day for Serenity. No, I'm not okay." Seto growled. "God, I mention one time that she's nice, and he goes ape-shit. I can see why she's hiding wherever it is that she lives from him."

"It's not like she doesn't hang out with the gang or anything. They see her all the time, but you wouldn't believe the hoops she jumps through to make sure she isn't followed home." Mokuba remarked, and then kicked himself mentally.

"And you do?" Seto asked, suspicious.

"She tells me stuff." Mokuba replied, hesitantly, hoping that he bought it. It was technically true after all.

"How's she doing, anyway? We haven't had the chance to talk in a while, and I think I should get some kind of compensation for having to deal with house inspections from her brother every other day." Seto remarked. Mokuba already knew he liked her, so Seto didn't see the point in denying it anymore really.

"She's doing well. I don't really know what she's working on, but she seems happier now that she's out on her own." Mokuba replied.

"Does she happen to know why he's inspecting my house so much, and could she get him to stop?" Seto asked, wondering if Joey would even listen to her.

"She says she doesn't know, and Joey never listens to her…eeep!" Mokuba was cut off by some sort of high pitched squeal.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The boy hissed. "How the hell was I suppose to know you didn't want me to tell him right now?"

"She's _**with**_ you, right now?!" Seto asked, shocked. "What the fuck, Mokuba?"

"She's sort of…my neighbor." Mokuba relented. "It's one of the reasons why I won't let you visit. Joey would follow you here, and then she'd never have any peace."

"Maybe she could hide with this artist I'm trying to find." Seto grumbled, in understanding, now suddenly jealous of his little brother. "Whoever it is is practically a ghost."

"You're looking for them? The anonymous artist?" Mokuba asked, trying to sound shocked.

"Your acting skills are still shit, you know. Of course, I'm looking for them. Everyone in Japan is. This riddle they gave me as a hint is driving me nuts, and I can't figure it out." Seto huffed.

"You're over thinking it. Riddles aren't always complicated. Maybe it's something simple." Mokuba suggested.

"If I figure out the riddle, do I get to visit?" Seto asked, bargaining now.

"Me, or Serenity?" Mokuba teased.

"I never said." Seto said, with a smirk.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Joey had a plan. It was stupid, Mai wouldn't approve, but it was a plan. He had gotten all the guys together, and they were going to box Serenity in until she agreed to move back home where she belonged. It wasn't enough that she visited a lot, that her and Mai got along, he missed her. He didn't like that that Kaiba jerk had complimented her either.

He knew that Kaiba was hiding something too, but he didn't know what it was. So, Joey helped himself to searching Kaiba's mansion on a regular basis. Mai didn't approve of that either, but he'd do just about anything to keep his baby sister safe. At least he knew that he wasn't the only one having sibling issues. Mokuba had left home too, but Seto seemed to be encouraging this leap of independence instead of trying to bring him home.

"Hey, Joey!" Serenity called out, happily.

When Joey saw her, he frowned. He didn't approve of her style of dress now either. She was wearing long pants, but they hugged too well, and her shirt dipped a bit too low. When she hugged Mai, he could see that her shirt was one of those open backs with the crisscrossed strings holding it together. His sister was walking around in that?

"What are you wearing?" Joey asked, darkly.

"Still more than Mai." Serenity replied playfully, to which Mai laughed.

"She's got you there, dear." Mai teased. "You look good, Serenity. How's things?"

"Amazing. Someone famous just bought a painting of mine." Serenity squealed, happily. "I have to keep the name secret, but it feels good to see my artwork out there."

"I'm happy for you." Mai replied, kindly, giving her a hug. She quickly whispered. "I think your brother plans to ambush you with the guys."

"Thanks, Mai." Serenity gushed, as if nothing had happened. "We should do a girls day later, yeah?"

"You two hungry?" Joey asked.

"Yeah, there's this great little Italian place I heard about. It's suppose to have really good food." Serenity replied, enthusiastically.

"I was thinking pizza." Joey said, not cringing as Mai gave him a dark look.

"Little Neko's?" Serenity asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Yeah. You remember it?" Joey asked, happily, momentarily distracted by his little sisters happiness.

"Best pizza ever!" She declared, and they strolled forth.

Meanwhile, Mai was behind them texting like her life depended on it. Serenity had given her the hints she'd needed, and now she was putting them to good use. By the time that they got to Little Neko's, everyone else was already there, and Joey could see that his plan had gone to shit. The girls were there too! This would never work with them and their womanly wiles ruining everything.

"Serenity!" Anzu exclaimed happily, before hugging her friend. She whispered. "Don't worry, we got you."

"It's good to see you too, Anzu." Serenity giggled. "So, who's up for Pizza?"

The guys outnumbered the girls by a little, but Joey wasn't stupid. Anzu could have Yugi wrapped around her finger in seconds. Mai could strike fear into Tristan and Duke, and he was in the dog house already. Anzu had even brought over a new friend of hers, some girl from work, that now seemed to hold all of Bakura's attention. This was not going to go over well.

* * *

Seto decided to take one more look at the riddle, before admitting defeat. He sighed, and decided to let it go. Some things were just not meant to be found out, and Seto could accept that, after a fight, and trying to bribe everyone in sight, begrudgingly. His phone went off with a text notification, and he was pleasantly surprised that it was Mokuba. What shocked him was the content of the message.

 _Mokuba – At Little Neko'_ _ **S**_ _,_ _ **S**_ _erenity is being_ _ **S**_ _urrounded by Joey and the guy_ _ **S**_ _. The girl_ _ **S**_ _have taken to di_ _ **S**_ _tracting them._ _ **S**_ _o maybe_ _ **S**_ _he'll be okay, but I'd rather not chance it. Plea_ _ **S**_ _e hurry._

He stared at the text as if he'd never seen a phone before, and then it hit him like a ton of bricks. He was an idiot. Seto Kaiba was the biggest idiot on the face of the fucking earth, and he owed his brother the biggest thank you in existence. The answer to the fucking riddle, he'd not even told the boy the content of, was S! More importantly, the artist was Serenity!

The girl had been ballsy to throw out her actual name as part of the riddle too. How had he not noticed before? The artist's style had looked so familiar to him. He should have realized it was her. With everything going on with Mokuba, and Joey, he'd just treated everything as if it were separate incidents when they were all the same one.

Seto was rushing out of the building before the secretary could even ask what was wrong. If he was right, it meant that that mutt was about to do something monumentally stupid that he wouldn't be able to come back from. His sister would never forgive him, and they would never be able to get back to any sort of familial relationship again. He couldn't stand the guy, but he also couldn't let him destroy the bridge to the only family the guy had left. When he got there, he wasn't disappointed.

Serenity was looking rather uncomfortable, sitting at the booth. The guys had conveniently sat around her, making sure to block off any exit. Mokuba was trying to talk one of them into moving so he could sit next to Serenity, but his last name was Kaiba, so they were hesitant to trust him. The girls looked a bit put out, as none of their distracting methods had really paid off the way they intended, except for Yugi and Bakura. Those two looked like they didn't even know what Joey's plan was till they all sat down to food.

"Serenity, it's been a long time." Seto said, kindly, as he walked up to them. She looked to him as if he were a lifeline. "How have you been?"

"Well, you know…" She trailed off, looking uncomfortable as her eyes darted to the guys around her. "I've been better."

"Hey, no one invited ya, Moneybags." Joey growled. "Now get out."

"Would you like to get out of here, Serenity?" Seto asked, with a knowing smile.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she nodded, and before Joey could say a word, Seto Kaiba got in the booth behind them and scooped her out. He spun around, carrying her bridal style for just a second, before setting her upright again. Honestly, he wasn't even sure how he physically managed to do that, but the look on her face was worth more than all the money he had. Seto couldn't help but be drawn to kiss her then. After all, the hero is suppose to get the girl, and that was as close to being the hero as he had ever been.

It hadn't been planned, but he still wasn't expecting her to kiss him back like that. Damn, being the hero felt good! He should have done this forever ago, the hero thing too, but mostly kissing Serenity. Her lips were so soft too, and so warm! When he reluctantly broke away, he could tell by her eyes that she almost moved to follow him to continue the kiss.

"That was my first one, you know." She whispered, softly. "I wasn't quite done enjoying that."

"Go." He whispered back, grinning now. "I'll keep him busy for you. Don't worry, I'll try to play nice. You and I can talk later."

Serenity gave him a quick kiss, and bolted from the restaurant. Joey stood up, finally, looking beyond pissed. Anzu, Mai, Yugi, Bakura, and someone he didn't recognize, all looked like they had seen the most romantic movie ever. Meanwhile, Tristan and Duke were just as pissed off as Joey. Mokuba couldn't wipe the shit eating grin off of his face if he'd tried.

"What are ya'z even doin here, Kaiba?" Joey growled.

"If you had gone through with it, do you really think she would have forgiven you?" Seto asked, calmly.

"Doesn't matta. She would'a been home." Joey growled, making his way too him.

"They grow up, Joey. Siblings do that." Seto tried to reason. "They eat way too many vegetables or something, and then they move out of the house. You want the sibling closeness you use to have, but you keep trying to cage her in. If I've learned anything with Mokuba it's that that doesn't work. You're her brother, you'll always be her brother, but you need to stop trying to be her parent."

"Don't ya's tell me what ta do, Kaiba." Joey growled. "Ya'z just tryn ta keep her away from me. Ya been helpn her hide from da start, hav'n'cha? Turn'n her against me."

"No, Joey, she just grew up." Mai said, softly.

"She's my only baby sista, Mai. I have ta protect her from everyth'n, includ'n herself. I can't let her end up wit someone like him." Joey pleaded, trying to get her to understand. Tristan and Duke had taken to flanking Kaiba in the meantime.

"I got to swoop in, rescue a damsel in distress, and steal a hero's kiss." Seto said, unable to stop grinning as he taunted them. "So, whatever you three think you have to say or do to me, isn't even going to touch that."

That did it. Joey, Tristan, and Duke promptly tried to jump him. Yugi tripped Duke. Bakura _accidentally_ fell onto Tristan, which left Seto to fight Joey. Knowing Serenity would hate him if he beat up her brother, even though Joey was doing a good job at deserving it at the moment, Seto put all of his efforts into restraining Joey instead. Restraining someone was harder than just knocking their lights out, but he had to try.

He'd almost had him too, but Joey managed to twist out of it. With reflexes Seto wasn't expecting him to have, Joey whipped around and punched him square in the nose. Damn, that fucking hurt! Joey would have punched him again, but Seto was prepared for that one. He focused on trying to restrain Joey, or at least stay out of the way of those damned fists of his.

"You're hurting her." Seto stated, simply, stopping Joey cold. "I don't know what you did, or what you two fought about, but you doing this is hurting her."

"What would ya know bout it, Kaiba?" Joey sneered. "Ya let ya'z own little broda run aroun on his own, doin only God knows what."

"Because I trust him. I've taught him all I can, the rest is his to figure out." Seto growled back. He turned to Mai and the others. "I'll leave him to you. If I stay here any longer, I really will kill him."

With that said, he turned around and left the restaurant. There was no way he was going to be able to see Serenity today. His face hurt like hell, and his nose was still bleeding. He'd go home, put ice on his face, and hope his nose wasn't broken. Mokuba would be able to make sure Serenity had gotten home okay, so he didn't worry she'd be followed.

* * *

A few days later, Yugi walked into his office. Seto sighed inwardly, wondering why his secretary thought it was okay to just let people barge into his office all the damned time now. She didn't even announce him in. If this kept up, he'd have to fire that woman. Yugi seemed to know where his mind had gone, and chuckled.

"What do you want, Moto?" Seto asked, barely able to keep from sounding annoyed.

"Relax, I come bearing gifts." Yugi replied, handing him a piece of folded paper. Seto unfolded the paper, and looked back up at him in confusion. "He could have just texted it to you, but he thought this was better. It's all rather complicated on how he did it, but let's just say that Mokuba is one ingenious dude."

"You're telling me. I can't even move from this spot without Joey following me." Seto grumbled. "The things I do for that woman, and we haven't even gone on a date yet."

"Tristan follows me too I think, or at least he's been ' _visiting_ ' more at the game shop." Yugi grumbled, sharing his frustration. "Though maybe he'll stop now that he's been scarred for life."

"What did he do, see Anzu naked?" Seto asked, kidding. The bright red blush Yugi now sported caused him to burst out in genuine laughter. "Oh, holy shit, you've got to be kidding me. He did?"

"It wasn't just her he saw naked." Yugi mumbled, fully embarrassed.

"How is that man still alive?" Seto asked, through his laughter. "I thought she'd would kill him for sure for something like that."

"Now that I've been sufficiently embarrassed." Yugi mused. "You should call her."

"With everything that's been going on, I haven't had much time to stop and think." Seto stated, in all seriousness. "Hostile takeover attempts, new dueling disk tech, Mokuba wanting more responsibility with the company, Joey being…Joey, this new mystery artist…, and now Serenity."

"Don't bullshit me, Kaiba." Yugi responded, playfully. "I know you know."

"What do you mean you know I know?" Seto asked, annoyed.

"I know. I know that you know, and now you know that I know, and that I know you know I know." Yugi teased.

"Yes, but what I don't know is what you know that I know, and that I now know you know I know." Seto said, with a smirk. The two of them burst out laughing at that.

"Ah, there is that." Yugi replied, with a cheesy grin. "The mystery artist."

"How do you know that exactly?" Seto asked, warily.

"Think about it, Kaiba." Yugi said, simply. "Where does Mokuba go when he needs to think? Where does Serenity go when she needs to get away from Joey for a little bit?"

"You've known this whole time?" Seto asked, conspiratorially. Yugi nodded, with a mischievous grin. "How the hell have you kept that from Joey?"

"No one suspects the chibi." Yugi answered, completely deadpan. "We're adorable, so we can get away with anything."

"Why am I taking advice from you again?" Seto asked, narrowing his eyes at Yugi.

"Because, while Joey may not have seen the actual kiss, everyone else did." Yugi replied. "After a kiss like that, it shouldn't be too difficult to talk to the girl."

"Just get out of my office, Chibi." Seto replied, with a bemused smirk.

* * *

When he went home, he just sort of stared at the piece of paper Yugi had given him. What exactly was he suppose to do with this? He could call her, but then what? She still doesn't want Joey to know where she lives, and right now Joey was practically glued to him. It would be easy for him to follow Seto than it would be to follow her.

Beyond worrying about how to handle the mutt, there was his reputation to consider. He had made it a point to be a cold hearted bastard to everyone who got in his way. Between Kaiba Corp, and his own personal life, Seto Kaiba had many enemies from those days. That reputation hadn't gone away, even if he didn't act the same way anymore, and he would be exposing her to that. If there was one universal truth out there it was this, guys like him didn't get the girl.

"Fuck it." He growled at himself, and called her anyway.

"H-Hello?" After several rings, a sleepy sounding woman answered the phone.

"Oh shit, what time is it?" Seto asked, suddenly realizing that his late night thoughts are not always diamonds. He hears sleepy laughter on the other end of the line.

"I'm not even sure why that's funny! Sleepy brain does that." She said, happily.

"Shit. Serenity, I…I didn't mean to call you so late." Seto stated, thoroughly glad she could not see him through the phone right now.

"Well, it's either really late or very early. Depends on how you look at it." She said, with a giggle. "So, what happened after I left? No one will tell me, not even Mokuba."

"Oh, nothing much really. I may have attempted to playfully taunt Joey, Tristan, and Duke with some line about rescuing damsels in distress and stealing a hero's kiss." Seto said, nonchalantly, as if he were talking about everyday things. "May have also gotten punched in the face."

"I can't believe you, Seto Kaiba." She giggled, sleepily.

"What? Why not?" Seto asked, confused.

"Enterprising businessman that you are, and you missed out on a golden opportunity to have said damsel in distress take care of your wounds." She replied. He could practically hear her smile. "It's practically standard in all the fairy tail stories, you know."

"I'll keep that in mind next time I get punched in the face." He promised, causing her to laugh some more. "I should really let you sleep."

"Alright, but only because you're going to sleep too." She said, and suddenly sleep sounded like a really good idea.

"Good night, Serenity."

"Good morning, Seto."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Mokuba had been trying to figure out a way around the Joey blockade dilemma for about a week now. He'd worked out how to get the number to Seto already, but how to get him out of Joey's line of sight was a problem. If Joey wasn't watching him, Tristan was. If Tristan wasn't watching him, Duke was scheduling meetings with him to make sure of where he'd be. Helping people start to date was hard.

Well, there was only one thing for it. He never actually thought he'd have to go to such drastic measures for a first date before, but then again he was dealing with a Kaiba. For now, Seto and Serenity seemed happy to talk on the phone. Seto was a busy CEO, and Serenity had her secret artist thing, so stretches of time where one would not see the other for a spell wouldn't be out of the norm. It was just that these two hadn't seen each other at all, not since Seto swooped in to the rescue and a kiss.

The two were happy with the way things were at the moment, considering it was better than how they'd been, but Mokuba didn't want them to feel like it wasn't going anywhere. If Joey would just let up, it would definitely go somewhere. Mai was working on him to get a hold of himself, and he seemed fine most days, but he hadn't given up watching Seto like a hawk. He knew about the kiss, knew that Seto was interested in his little sister, and that wasn't happening on his watch. Mokuba sighed, and began making the appropriate calls.

* * *

This was getting ridiculous. Just how much longer did the mutt think he could keep this up before he lost more than his sister? Not that he'd lost her, but still. Then again, Seto supposed that's why he'd asked his friends to take shifts. He'd lost Yugi and Bakura's support already, how long before Mai gave up on him?

"Devlin, if you don't have any new information, could you kindly get the hell out of my office, and go tell Joey it's his turn to stalk me?" Seto growled, surprising the Dice Monsters creator.

"If you left Serenity alone, you know Joey would back off." Devlin replied, not even bothering to hide why he was really there anymore.

"No he wouldn't, and you know it. He'd have to keep an eye on me, to make sure I didn't go back ' _on ma word an' take his only baby sista_ ' from him." Seto huffed, in annoyance. Devlin actually laughed at Seto's Joey impression.

"I suppose you're right." Duke stated, suddenly sounding very tired. "I guess there's only one thing for it then. Follow me."

For some odd reason, Seto did just that. They didn't talk on the elevator, nor when they got down to the lobby. Only when they began walking out of the building did Seto start to wonder about the silence. He was letting Duke lead him somewhere, but he couldn't fathom why. What was with the silence?

"Where are we going?" Seto asked, not showing his confusion, still very much annoyed.

"We're about to be taken hostage." Duke commented, like he was talking about the weather. "I'm told it's an interesting experience, but that varies from person to person."

"We're what?!" Seto shouted.

"Try to make it look convincing, but don't fight too hard." Duke advised.

Right then, four shadowy figures overpowered them. He'd never let himself get taken before, and couldn't fathom why Devlin suggested it now. He'd known about it beforehand, but what was this? Why were they going along with this at all? They were led to a limo some distance away, and only once they were inside did someone take off the black bag over Seto's head.

"Now would someone like to tell me why in the hell I just let myself get taken hostage with dice boy over here?" Seto growled, angrily, only to be surprised into silence.

Serenity is sitting in front of him, and he freezes. This was the first time he'd actually gotten to see her since all this started. She smiled brightly at him, her hair cascading around her face, wearing a nice full length black dress with only a little wisp of a sleeve that hung over her shoulders. She looked absolutely beautiful, and it was a moment before he could being himself to speak. The others were not oblivious to this, each with their own small smirks.

'"Serenity?" He managed.

"You can thank us later." Mai said, from right next to him.

"I told you. Chibi's get away with anything." Yugi remarked, with a grin.

"But?" Seto tried to ask, looking to Duke.

"There's only so much craziness a person can go with before it starts getting bad." Duke admitted. "They convinced me Joey crossed that threshold ages ago."

"I don't…how?" Seto asked. It wasn't often he was speechless.

"You have Mokuba to thank for that." Roland said, with a smirk, from the drivers seat. "Apparently, I'm taking my own boss hostage because he doesn't pay me enough."

With that said, he closed the separating window.

"Alright, now Joey's probably caught up with us by now. You'll need to push Duke out to make it believable." Bakura stated.

Yugi opened the limo door, and pushed Duke out of the car. It wasn't actually moving yet, so he wasn't worried he'd hurt his friend. Duke made a good showing of being pushed out, actually throwing his whole body into the motion as he fell out. The door was quickly closed, and they sped off. The rest of the group got out of the limo a few blocks away, near Yugi's shop, and they were gone.

As soon as the door closed, Seto pulled on her to his side of the limo. She squealed happily as she landed next to him. As he put his arms around her, she leans into him, and he is surprised by how well they fit together. For a moment, they simply stay as they are, content to hold each other this way.

"Well, this would be the most interesting date I've had so far. Can't say I've ever willingly been taken hostage for a date before." Seto stated, earning him another smile from Serenity.

"Mokuba suggested it." She replied, shyly. "I was going to suggest someone hogtying Joey instead. I suppose we could save that for next time."

"You've definitely gotten more outspoken since I first met you, that's for sure." Seto replied, with a light chuckle. It was fun to watch her blush a little. "So, where are we going?"

"We have reservations at Nobu Tokyo." She said, with a smile. "I've heard it's wonderful."

"They're one of the few restaurants I know of that hold true to their discretion policy." Seto commented, which made her smile a little. She knew how much trouble he'd had with that. "The atmosphere of the place is also quite nice."

"You've been?" She asked, curious and hesitant.

"Business meetings. It was easier to endure them in comfortable settings such as Nobu Tokyo." Seto answered, taking note of the slight jealous tone her voice had taken.

That was another thing she would have to deal with because of the life he'd led. It was expected of him at the time, to be the ladies man, and so he'd played the part. Some women he was with because of business, others he let say they did things when they didn't, but he'd never been with anyone because they loved him. They were happy to do it, or not do it as the case may be, as long as they got the publicity they wanted. Despite appearances being what they were, he was not the Don Juan of Japan.

She knew this, of course. They had talked much over the course of the week, but he knew that if they tried for a relationship publicly, she'd have to deal with that too. The media he knew was not forgiving. As long as they kept things quiet, the media would not tear into her, but they couldn't stay that way. One day, being private and secret would not be enough.

* * *

It was nice to simply walk into a restaurant, holding the hand of his girlfriend, without the bothersome cretins. No one stared or pulled out their cameras as they entered the restaurant. Roland left as soon as they were in the restaurant, not that he was paying all that much attention to him. There was something more important going on at the moment. Just that Serenity was standing next to him was enough.

"We have a reservation under Mokuba Kaiba." Serenity stated, to the Host.

"Right this way, Miss." the man said, and led them to a quiet area of the restaurant.

When he was gone, Seto turned to her.

"I have to ask, Serenity. What did you mean by that was your first one?" He said, out of the blue. He'd not asked that during their phone conversations.

"You've met Joey. There wasn't a guy in high school that could get within arms length of me before Joey's guard was up." Serenity replied, with a sad sort of grin. "I tried going on a fake date with Yugi once, just to see what one was like. I figured it was safe, considering he was interested in Anzu, and he'd be a proper gentleman. You can imagine how well that worked out. One minute we're at the movies, and the next thing I know, Joey is threatening to kill Yugi. Then he tried to set me up with _Tristan_ of all people. That was only so he could watch me like Joey does, but I don't think Joey realized Tristan's intentions were not as pure as that _._ "

"Is this…God, I sound like an ass just thinking it…Is this just to get back at him?" Seto asked, hesitantly. "Neither of us deserve that, and I…I like you, Serenity."

"No, if I had wanted to do something like that, I would have just dated Yami while Anzu dated Yugi. Then, maybe see if Joey could catch us all in some weird supernatural threesome." Serenity said, casually, causing Seto to choke on his drink. "I could ask you the same question, Seto. It has never been a secret how much Joey hates you, and how much you dislike him. Dating me would be the perfect way to get back at him."

"Battle City." Seto said. She looked confused. "I met you in Battle City. I wasn't a good person then, and a lot of what you heard was true, but even so you were still nice to me…I can't believe that I was almost the one that kept you from seeing."

"You were working to save Mokuba." Serenity said, softly. "I understood that."

"You're much too nice, you know." Seto accused, with a grin.

"You're much too hard on yourself, you know." She returned, with a grin of her own.

The time they spent at the restaurant was wonderful. The food is amazing, and the atmosphere of the restaurant itself makes it seem like her hair has a heavenly glow. They talk about everything except the mystery artist. That is a conversation to be had in private, and they are set on enjoying themselves as they are. They often have a hand entwining their fingers together as they eat.

He is glad that she did not hold who he had been against him. That version of himself would not have been kind to her if he had continued on the way he'd been. Seeing her and how she was had started to change that, and Yugi and the some of the others had worked on the rest. Despite everything that had happened to her, she had such a wonderful outlook on life. How she did it was beyond him, but it was one of the things that had attracted him to her in the beginning.

The two barely took note of the serving staff, not that they were trying to be rude. It was just nice to actually see each other instead of only having phone conversations. If anyone took pictures, or stared, neither one noticed. The meal was delicious, the company better. When Seto and Serenity walked out of the restaurant though, there was something that bugged him.

"I don't really want this to end." He said, looking to her. "But I am going to have to go home soon, as are you. How am I suppose to give you the goodnight kiss at the door?"

Suddenly, he didn't have to wonder that. She stood on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck, and pulled him in for a kiss. It wasn't heated or forceful. It was one of those sweet and slightly hesitant goodnight kisses that one would give when standing at the door. When she pulled away, she had the biggest grin on her face, and he suspected that his matched.

"You know…if you want…you could see where I live." Serenity suggested, still smiling. "You could give me that goodbye kiss at the door like you want."

""I'd like that, Serenity." Seto replied, with a slight nod.

* * *

The place has a doorman, and security on the inside of the building. Mokuba must have been really intense about his security requirements, which impressed Seto. The guards acknowledged him with a nod, knowing who he was, and the two were on their way to the elevator. When they walked up to her door, she smiled sheepishly and gave a look that told him to wait. When she opened the door, there was a wall.

"Wha-?" Seto asked, confused.

"It's a last security measure Mokuba thought up." Serenity replied, with a mischievous grin. "The actual entrance is inside Mokuba's apartment."

The two make their way to Mokuba's apartment, and went in. Mokuba was surprised to see Seto, but happy at the same time. He had been meaning to find a way to be able to get Seto away from Joey for a visit, and just hadn't thought about this. It was amusing to see Mokuba blush when he realized his brother was escorting Serenity to her apartment. Though they now had a more brother like relationship, he knew Mokuba still saw him as a father figure.

"Mmmm…Serenity,…I…I should…I should go…home…yeah…go home…and do some…do some work…yeah…Kaiba Corp things…very important…top secret…you understand." He mumbled, as he stands there with her at her actual apartment door, but each pause was the result of a kiss.

Serenity encouraged them by adding a small kiss, like it was a signature, or tentatively flicking her tongue along his lower lip. He was finding that it was becoming addicting to kiss her. She chuckled, as if she knew where his mind was, and leans back enough to look up at him. It was then that he realized just how they were as she moves against him. He has her pressed against the door, and a goodbye kiss had turned into goodbye make out.

"I'm sorry, I should not have…" Seto began, before Serenity cut him off with another kiss.

"You worry too much." She said, with a teasing smile.

"So I've been told." He replied, softly.

"You should visit with Mokuba for a little while." Serenity suggested. "He won't say it, but he misses you."

"I will." He agreed. "Goodnight, Serenity."

"Good morning, Seto." She teased.

"I take it the date went well?" Mokuba asked, grinning.

"I don't know how the hell you did it, but thank you, Mokuba." Seto replied, sincerely. "I owe you."

"I'll remember you said that." Mokuba teased.

"This is a nice place." Seto stated, looking around. "The Mansion feels a bit empty without you there, but I understand."

Mokuba gave him the small tour through the place. He had to admit, it was nice, but he did miss him living at the mansion. Seto wondered if he would move back in when he gave him more responsibilities. He smiled when he heard Serenity singing upstairs, and was startled when his brother started laughing at him. It was interesting, being caught unawares by the younger brother.

"You two got it bad." Mokuba declared.

"Is it that obvious?" Seto asked, looking to him. Mokuba just pointedly stared at him, eyebrow raised. "I can't help it, Mokuba. She's…perfect."

"Are you sure it's her you like, and not the forbidden secret nature of all this?" Mokuba asked.

"She's nice, doesn't hold my past against me, and she fits in my arms like she was meant to be there." Seto insisted, flopping down on the couch.

"Damn, you _**do**_ got it bad." Mokuba said, with a chuckle.

" What are we suppose to do? I can't get taken hostage every time I want to see her." Seto grumbled, trying to think of something, and then shot up straight like lightening. "How good are you with disguises?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Yugi had tried unsuccessfully to get Joey to go home, but the guy was insistent that Kaiba was in some kind of trouble. So, when Kaiba came waltzing into the game shop, Yugi and Joey both stopped cold. Kaiba looked like he was absolutely love-struck; goofy grin on his face, humming to himself, the works. He wasn't even looking at anything in particular, just walking through the aisles as if in a daze. Neither of them had seen him like that before, and didn't know what to do.

Of course, Yugi knew it was because of Kaiba's date with Serenity. Joey didn't know that, but how long before he put the pieces together? Maybe he needn't have worried. Joey just shook his head, and left the game shop. Yugi locked the door, flipped the open sign to closed, and went to find Kaiba.

"Is that **_Kaiba?"_** Anzu asked, as she watched him, having come downstairs to see what the hold up was.

"I think so, but he hasn't come down to earth yet." Yugi answered, snickering slightly. "He's still up in the clouds somewhere. Must have been one hell of a date."

"Is the mutt gone?" Kaiba asked, still grinning.

"Yeah." Yugi replied. "I take it the date went well?"

"Perfect. I'm planning the second one. We can't keep taking me hostage. Joey's not that stupid. Are either of you good at disguises?" Kaiba asked, looking to the two of them.

"I might be able to help." Anzu said. "What did you have in mind?"

* * *

One week later, Serenity was having an all girls day above the game shop. Yugi was manning the station there just in case Joey showed up. He had been calling a lot today, but no one answered the phone, because they were all trying to help Serenity get ready. No one knew if Joey or Tristan was watching Kaiba or not, but the disguise was just in case. Mai felt a little guilty for not answering her phone when Joey called.

He'd calmed down a bit, after seeing how out of it Kaiba had been when he'd gotten back from being 'taken hostage'. Now all he talked about was just wanting to see Serenity again. He'd been a stupid big brother, and he didn't know if it was too late to fix it. Mai was proud of him for realizing this, but didn't know if he would slip back into old habits if he knew what she was doing right now. Maybe she would put the thought to him when she went home.

"Serenity, you look beautiful. Your disguise is ready too." Mai said, hugging the girl. "I've got to go, though. Your brother has been calling, and I'm starting to worry about him, He's been kind of subdued this week."

"Alright, Mai." Serenity replied, happily. "Thanks for everything. Give him a hug for me, will you? Tell him I miss him."

"He'll be happy to hear it." Mai said, before leaving.

* * *

Joey was tired, and miserable, and alone. Mai had refused to return his calls, and none of his friends were calling him back. Even his sister had stopped answering her phone when he called. He'd messed up, he knew he messed up, but was it too late to fix it? He was jarred out of his thoughts by the phone ringing, and he hurriedly answered it.

"Hey, Joey! I'm sorry I couldn't answer earlier. Is everything alright?" Mai asked.

"Yeah, I just thot…I'z worried ya'd all left me." Joey admitted, his voice low.

"No, Hun. No one's left you, not even Serenity. Actually, that's why I couldn't pick up the phone right away. I was trying to help her find a dress." Mai said. "She said to tell you that she misses you, and I'm to give you a hug from her when I get home."

"Home…This place is still home?" Joey asked, hopeful, not believing his ears.

"Of course, it is! I'm almost there. We'll talk more, I promise. I love you." Mai stated, before hanging up the phone.

She was there within minutes, and was shocked by just how forlorn he looked. When he looked up and saw her, his reaction was instantaneous, pulling her into his arms. He just stood there holding her, at first not saying anything. Then he was murmuring apologies. He'd never meant to let things get so out of hand.

"Mai, what do I do? I've lost her forever, an' I've kept her from being happy da way she wants." Joey asked, slumping down on the couch.

"She loves you, you great big dolt." Mai said, affectionately. "You haven't lost her at all. She's just grown up."

"I want ta apologize fa everyth'n, but she won't answer ma calls." Joey said, sulking now.

"She may kill me for this, but…Oh, Joey, I just can't stand to see you like this." May exclaimed. He looked up at her with a clueless expression. "She's on a date."

"She's…on a date?" Joey asked, confused. "Dat's why she ain't answerin ma calls?…You were help'n her pick a dress for da date?" Then a look of comprehension crossed his face. "Kaiba. Dat's why he looked all goofy las week, but den…who took him hostage?"

"Mokuba planned it to get past your dating blockade, but Yugi, Duke, Bakura, Roland and I implemented it. Neither of them knew of it at first, and they'd been talking on the phone for a week at the time." Mai said, softly, as Joey absorbed everything. "Joey, he-"

"He loves her, doesn't he?" Joey said, quietly.

"Yeah, I think he does." Mai replied. "This is only their second date. I don't know if they've said that to each other yet."

"Dat goofy look I saw? He loves her. I'd recognize dat look anywhere. It's da same one I get when I tink about you, Mai." He admitted, looking over to her. "I need ta see her. I need ta make dis right, right now."

"Joey, think about this. They're on a date." Mai exclaimed.

"I won't stay. I just…If I don't do dis now, while I have it in me, I'll chickn out layta." Joey explained, apologetically.

"Let me call them, and see first, alright?" Mai reasoned, surprised when Joey agreed quickly. She picks up her phone, and tries calling Serenity.

* * *

Moments before…

She looks around at the scene he's created, and can't help but think it beautiful. Dinner under the stars, complete with music. This time, they have their chairs closer together. The need to touch seems even greater tonight, and his fingers seem to always be entwined with her own. He's planned the night around a meteor shower, and it's perfect. She's leaning into him, his arms wrapped around her in a warm embrace, when she gets a call.

"Ignore it." Seto whispered, nibbling along her neck.  
"It's Mai. She wouldn't call unless it was important." Serenity reasoned, then laughed when Seto made a show of pouting, before answering the phone. "Please tell me that I stopped Seto Kaiba from nibbling on my neck like it was a decadent treat for something _really_ _**really**_ important, Mai. Tell me it's important."

 _Joey wants to apologize in person, right now._

"Shit, Mai. I'm in the middle of a romantic date!" Serenity reasoned.

 _He says if he doesn't say it now, he may never get the gumption to say it later._

"You're calling me, and he's next to you. He has to know what I'm doing, who I'm with, and Oh dear God, Mai, please tell me I'm not on speaker phone." She exclaimed, in alarm.

 _No, I don't think he could have handled speaker phone. Yes, he knows all those things. Please, just hear him out. He says he won't stay. I've never seen him like this._

Seto hears this, and nods, so she replies. "Alright. Just don't be surprised upon seeing cuddling."

* * *

When he gets there, and sees them, he freezes. It's harder than he expects it to be to see them together like that, with Kaiba holding Serenity in his arms as if she belongs there. She looks happy, wearing Kaiba's trench coat, snuggling into him as she was. He doesn't think he can do this, and is surprised when Mai squeezes his hand in comfort, bringing him back to himself. Joey takes a deep breath, remembering that he isn't alone in this.

Kaiba is looking at him, not in anger or in snide condescension, but with apprehension and wariness. He doesn't think he's ever seen Kaiba nervous before, and isn't sure what to do with it now. So he turns his attentions to Serenity. She's seen the exchange, and is now apprehensive too. In all fairness, he'd never gone this long in Kaiba's presence without insulting the man, so he can understand her sitting there waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Don't worry, I ain't stay'n." Joey insisted. "I just…if I don't do dis now, I'll neva be able ta say it. Serenity, I'm sorry. I shouldn'ta said what I did. Ya art is amazin, an' I shoulda supported ya instead of say'n what I did. It's no wonda ya'z all secret famous now."

Both Serenity and Kaiba went slack jawed at that, and he had to chuckle.

"I only just figured it out a few minutes ago, when we went ta ya office ta look for ya'z first." Joey said, looking at them. "I saw da paintn, an' remembered da sketch ya'd done before. Dare'd been talk of Kaiba buy'n a paintn from da mystery artist, an' dat's da only paint'n in his office. I just kinda figured it was you."

"Don't go telling anyone yet, Wheeler." Kaiba stated, his tone kind. "She wants to do a big reveal at the gallery that hosts most of her works."

"I been spout'n so much crazy here lately, I doubt anyone would believe me." Joey admitted, sheepishly. "Which reminds me. Serenity, I'm also sorry about trying to kidnap ya'z ta take ya home, bein ova protective wit ya learn'n ta defend yaself, get'n'a job, an' date'n. When I say it all like dat, I can't believe I did all dat witout realize'n how crazy I got. An' Kaiba? I'm sorry for constantly break'n inta ya house all da time, keeping an eye on ya all da time, an punch'n ya in da face."

"Jeez, Joey. It's a wonder you haven't been arrested." Mai proclaimed softly, chuckling in the background.

"I know." Joey admitted, his face getting even more red than it had been already. "Kaiba, all do'ze tings I said…"

"You weren't the only one, you know. I have my own share of insults to regret." Kaiba replied, cutting him off before he could apologize again.

"It's good ta see ya happy, Sere. An, Kaiba? Always treat her right. I'm try'n not ta go back ta ova protective broda mode ova here." Joey stated, looking between the two of them. "Ya tink maybe I could come by an visit sometime?"

"I'd like that Joey." Serenity replied, running over to hug him. "It's good to have you as my brother again, and not a parent."

"Maybe I just shouldn't a fed ya veg'tables." Joey joked.

"I tried that with Mokuba one year. I think that's why he remained short for so long." Kaiba said, continuing the joke.

"Alright, you two." Mai chided, playfully. "Come on, Joey. We need to let them get back to their date."

"But I…" Joey objected, though instantly realizing he was about to slip again, amended. "I was just figurin' what wit da summa comin' up, an' all, dat maybe we could have a grill-out or somethin."

"I bring the good steaks?" Kaiba asked, jovially.

"Da best steaks." Joey replied, with a grin. "Take care, da both o ya'z."

* * *

"Joey, I'm proud of you." Mai declared, when they got back to their house. "I know that wasn't easy."

"Den why do I still feel like I lost sometin back dare?" Joey asked, confused.

"Because things are changing, and you're not one for change, Dear." Mai replied, knowingly. "Don't look at it as losing something. Think of it as gaining something you've never had."

"Like what?" He asked, feeling more than a little tired now, as he sat down on the couch.

"A brother." She answered, sitting down next to him. "Well, technically two if you also count Mokuba."

He'd honestly never thought about it that way before. Kaiba, a brother? He wasn't sure he could handle that thought at the moment. That was still too much to think about right now, but as he tried, he realized that it wasn't as bad as he would have expected. Though Serenity may be in more danger by association with Kaiba, no one else could protect her as fiercely as he would.

* * *

It felt like there was a tension that had been eased throughout the entire group, but more importantly for Serenity and Seto. Now that they didn't have to find strange and extravagant ways to try to meet each other, it was much easier to date. They'd even go out on double dates with Joey and Mai sometimes. The media was more focused on trying to figure out who the mystery artist was, so Seto dating Serenity went completely unnoticed. Being so public without a bunch of screaming or camera flashes, was a foreign experience for Seto, but one he enjoyed.

"Jeez, Kaiba. Ya act like someone kicked a kitten." Wheeler said, jarring him out of his thoughts. "Aren'tcha roastin in dat shirt? Ya got ta be da only one here wit a long sleeve shirt, dude."

"Can it, Wheeler." Seto growled, angrily, surprising Wheeler. Realizing he'd over reacted, Seto amended. "I can't wear tank tops, or short sleeves. Please don't ask me about it."

"Seto's always been like that, Joey." Mokuba replied. "I'm just surprised he parts with the trench coat on occasion."

"Dats only cause Serenity steals it." Joey replied, joking.

Joey just laughed, and walked back to the grill. Seto just nodded to Mokuba with a sigh of relief, and went back to his thoughts. Mokuba knew why Seto never wore anything but long sleeved shirts. He'd have to tell her about that soon. They had been dating for some time now, and in normal dating standards for the time, they would have had sex already, but…

Despite having been with women before, he'd never taken off his shirt for any of them. They would have known then, they would have seen the scars, and that was something he could not allow. Serenity was not like those women, and she was one for whom the wait was worth it. He loved her, so in a way, this was uncharted territory for him. Even though he knew how she felt about him, he wondered what she would think.

"Whatever it is, she'll understand." Yugi said, jarring him out of his thoughts again.

"What if it changes everything?" Seto asked, looking over to him.

"That's the risk we take." Yugi replied, looking over to Anzu and Serenity; who were already getting food. "You just have to decide if she's worth the risk."

"She is." Seto said, realizing as soon as he's said it that he means it more than he'd ever meant anything.

"Then all that's left to do is to tell her." Yugi replied. "Now, come on. Joey's done grilling. Food's ready."

after everyone had gotten food…

"Serenity, don't tell me ting's like dat." Wheeler whined. "I do not need ta know dat Kaiba is a good kissa! Mai, help me out here!"

"No can do, Joseph. Next time, don't eavesdrop on a girl's conversations." Mai replied, without missing a beat. "Now, Serenity, where were we?"

"I think we were on advice for what to do when he makes **'** _ **the**_ _**move'**_ _._ " Serenity replied, conspiratorially.

"Ah, no, no. I definitely don't need ta hear dat." Wheeler stated, as if putting his foot down. "No one's putt'n da moves on ma only baby sista."

"Now, Wheeler." Seto said, teasingly, realizing what the girls were doing. "Who said I hadn't already put _**'the moves'**_ as it were, on to _'ya only baby sista'_?"

Wheeler froze in an instant, his eyes bulging out of his skull, and his face is slowly turning red. Everyone is dying laughing at Seto teasing Wheeler, that is until Wheeler passes out from holding his breath for too long. Then they laugh harder, because no one really thought he would pass out like that. He come to a little while later, and starts babbling out of his mind. No one can really understand what he's saying, until he finally takes a deep breath and calms himself down.

"Don't worry, Serenity. I'm not let'n him leave ya like dis." Wheeler insisted, deliriously, holding onto her. "Somehow, I'll get him ta marry ya."

Everyone just sort of freezes at that moment.

"Joey, wha- you don't think he was serious, do you?" Serenity asked, causing Joey no small amount of confusion. "We've been teasing you this whole time. There've been no…um…moves made…ever."

"Da hell? You lot thot dis was funny?" Wheeler asked, annoyed.

"Quite." Anzu replied, as Yugi held onto her.

"Jeez, guys, don't do dat. I almost had a heart attack." Wheeler whined.

"Well, now that my lack of 'move' status has been aired out for _**everyone**_ to know, I think I'm going to go inside for a bit." Serenity said, before heading back inside.

"Well, shit." Seto grumbled, and made to follow her.

"What are ya doin?" Wheeler asked, cluelessly.

"Would you go comfort Mai if she felt embarrassed about something?" Seto asked, cutting to the point.

"Well, yeah." Wheeler replied, instantly."But…"

"Damn it, Wheeler. She's just told something on herself that she hadn't meant to say in front of so many people she considers her friends." Seto growled. "She's feeling ashamed, embarrassed, and too emotionally exposed to be around people. You being an overprotective brother will not help in this."

"Give her a minute, Kaiba." Mai said, surprising him. "She'll need a little time alone first."

* * *

Several minutes later…

"Serenity, will you please come out of there?" Seto asked, standing in front of the bathroom door.

"I was thinking about moving my base of operations to this bathroom. It's quite nice in here." Serenity replied, nonchalantly, though he could hear it in her voice that she'd been crying. Damn it.

"Serenity, please. I think I have some explaining to do." Seto insisted.

"Why?" Serenity asked, her voice catching.

"Because you deserve to know." Seto replied. "Serenity, _please._ I love you."

There was a shuffling sound, and she cracked the door a bit. He gently pushed open the door, stepped inside, and closed the door again. She sat back down on the toilet seat, where he assumed she'd been before he'd called out to her. He had been right, and he hated it. She'd been embarrassed, and had hidden herself away in here.

"Serenity, as much as I have wanted to be with you in that way, there's a reason why I haven't tried." Seto began, sitting on the edge of the bathtub. "You're special to me, and I should have told you this a long time ago, but this is something I've never told anyone. Only Mokuba, and my doctors know this. Those women that I have been with have never seen me without my shirt on for this very reason. I couldn't let anyone see, and I was afraid to show you."

He rolled up one of his sleeves to reveal the scars underneath. Seto knew that she was seeing the scars of cuts and burns from various implements. He did the same to his other sleeve as well, and heard her gasp. It wasn't until she put one of her hands into his own that he could bring himself to look at her again. Whatever it was he had been afraid of, he saw only love reflected in her eyes.

"I have scars like these all over. It's why I don't wear tank tops." Seto explained. "Gozaburo was not a kind man, an understatement if there ever was one, and there was a price to be paid when I won that chess match to get me and Mokuba adopted. I paid it, and then some, and now he's dead."

"Seto…" She whispered, still in shock.

"I know you've been wondering about it, why we haven't done anything yet, why I haven't tried anything with you yet." Seto went on. "Part of it is because I respect you more than I ever did any of those women, and wanted us to have the foundation of love that I've never had in any other relationship, the other part is because I was afraid of what you would think when you saw the scars."

"Seto Kaiba, I can't believe you." She said, after a while, with an impish grin. "Entrepreneurial businessman that you are, and you didn't recognize yet another opportunity for the damsel to take care of you."

"Please tell me ya two aren't have'n sex in dare. I don't tink ma heart could take it." Came Wheeler's muffled voice through the door.

"Trust me, Wheeler." Seto stated, his voice husky as he began kissing Serenity for everything he was worth. "The first time I have sex with your sister, it will _**not**_ be in this bathroom."

All of a sudden, there's another thud, and then nothing.


	6. Author's note

Things have been super crazy for me, and with no motivation, I wasn't really sure what to do with the story. I'm back on track now, and working on updates for ALL of my stories, if you follow any of the others. Thanks for being patient.


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